


Awakening the warrior within

by Aqua111



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic)
Genre: Fights, Gen, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 13:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19229737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aqua111/pseuds/Aqua111
Summary: Steppenwolf has the feeling Spectre is holding back during training and decides to test his true strength.





	Awakening the warrior within

A blast of Chaos energy rushed towards him. Steppenwolf quickly used his own abilities to create a protective armour around his body. He felt the impact, strong enough to push him back a few steps, felt the strain on his shields, how close parts of it came to cracking, but they withstood the assault. Immediately he countered with an attack of his own.  
Without a chance to defend himself Spectre was hit straight in the chest. He stumbled back, tried to catch his breath again while at the same time attempted to ready another attack. A really weak one from what Steppenwolf could see. The young Guardian wasn't even given enough time to find his footing again, let alone to fire, before he was wrapped up in strands of Chaos energy, lifted up into the air and held in place. For a moment a hint of frustration and anger appeared on his face but then he closed his eyes. Steppenwolf raised his eyebrows in concern. Spectre's face was slightly contorted as if he was in pain. But this ability was only supposed to hold him, not hurt him. Then he realised that the other male was trying to absorb the Chaos energy around him.

"What the... Spectre, stop that crap!" he shouted out.

That same moment the dark Guardian unleashed a powerful blast, immediately shattering Steppenwolf's shield. But before he could feel more than the force just pushing him down and heat brushing over his body the attack was already over. Spectre had dropped to the ground. He was breathing heavily but he didn't look as if he was too exhausted to continue the battle yet, far from it actually. Still he remained in a half kneeling position as if waiting for Steppenwolf to fully recover.

"I think we should call this round a draw" Steppenwolf said equally out of breath. "Your defence is crap as always. It's as wide open as if you are inviting attacks to hit you. But your offense has a lot of potential. Next time I want you to actually give it your best."

"I already WAS giving my best", Spectre grumbled without looking up.

Steppenwolf gave him a long contemplating look. The young Guardian was definitely holding back, he could feel it any time they trained together. Not his defence, that was terrible in all honesty, but his attack power. But why? Was he afraid to hurt someone during a training? Did he try to mask his full potential?  
"We will take a short break, then we'll go for another round", he finally announced.

Spectre looked at him as if he thought his elder had suddenly gone insane. "Have you forgotten what time of the month it is?" he asked with a nervous glance at the darkening sky. "Or how late it already is?"

Steppenwolf knew exactly but it was the only way if he wanted Spectre to go full out in a battle against him. As a Guardian he had the choice to hold back but when transformed it was much harder to restrain himself.

Suddenly there was fear. Steppenwolf tried to push it back, tried to tell himself how irrational it was. No one of the other Guardians behaved outright hostile towards the other were-Echidnas around him during these nights. Even if they completely lost control they would rather try to seek their prey elsewhere and were easy to restrain. But he didn't know Spectre at all. While the young Guardian never sought much company with the other Guardians at any other time already, he outright avoided them during a full moon. Steppenwolf had no idea how much he learned to control himself or how strong he had become during these few years since his first transformation. It could be possible that there was nothing to worry and that he had himself under control like any other Guardian. It could also be possible that within the next few minutes Steppenwolf had to face a monster. Given the scared look on Spectre's face he rather had to expect the latter. And aside of that during all the other full moon nights there also always were others around him who could work together when they had to pin down an especially out of control were-Echidna - right now he was alone.

"I know and I insist. When I wanted to see for myself how much progress you have made I meant in all circumstances that could possibly occur during a duel", Steppenwolf explained and managed to successfully keep his insecurities from being heard in his voice. 

"I'd rather be alone but if you seriously insist..." The young Guardian on the other hand didn't even bother if his apprehension was audible and visible.

The sky above them had gotten almost completely dark. Now it could only be a matter of minutes before the moon showed its face.

Spectre took off his helmet revealing the cybernetic spines that now were uselessly dangling over his shoulders. Useless because thanks to their spines Guardians were normally able to glide. These pieces of trash metal effectively rendered him incapable of using one of his abilities. Right now however every piece of metal on his body could give him an advantage in defence.

Steppenwolf watched how the other male got down on all fours. Most of the others did that as well - it prevented them from keeling over once the transformation set in. The ragged breathing before the transformation even had set in however was not normal. Spectre's shoulders moved up and down. It looked as if he wanted to hyperventilate himself into a trance. Steppenwolf opened his mouth, wanted to ask if he was alright, but at that moment his surroundings slowly became brighter, bathed in the pale light of the moon.

He drew in a sharp breath when he felt the growing pain in his bones and his muscles tensed up. Centuries of monthly transformations, before each there still was the hope that maybe after all this time he had finally gotten used to it, that maybe this time it would hurt less. It was futile hope. The best he could wish for this time was that he at least wouldn't black out, as much as this usually was appreciated so he didn't have to endure the pain until the very end.  
Spectre let out a small whimper and his body jerked more than before but else not much had changed about his position or his breathing pattern.

Meanwhile Steppenwolf had sunken to the ground as well, biting back screams of pain as his bones and muscles stretched and grew. Through a veil of tears he looked at Spectre to see that the other male was surrounded by what looked like a dome of Chaos energy. Only now, way too late, Steppenwolf remembered the destruction the young Guardian had caused during his first few transformations. It hadn't happened in years but at this sight he didn't feel too sure anymore. However while small green lightnings crackled furiously over its surface it otherwise remained steady.

With a cry of pain Steppenwolf dropped to his side and curled up, his arms wrapped tightly around his hurting body. His growing claws pierced his skin but among all the other pain he barely even noticed. His breath only came in shallow gasps anymore, his sight grew dimmer but he fought to stay conscious.

From the corners of his eyes he saw the green glow of the Chaos dome slowly dissipating. A large dark figure rose from the ground, unsteady at first but he quickly found his balance. No, not now already, not that fast... While the pain in his own body had subsided, Steppenwolf still needed a bit more time to regain his strength. In his current state there was no way he could win a fight.

For a moment Spectre remained still. He seemed to struggle with himself, unsure what to do. Then he ducked down and suddenly lunged forward. Steppenwolf rolled to the side, barely avoiding the claws that slammed into the ground only centimetres from his head.

He struggled to get back to his feet and blocked another incoming assault by ramming his arm against Spectre's jaw. For a moment the dark furred Echidna stumbled back and shook his head looking slightly dazed but then he charged again, dodged Steppenwolf's counter attack and slammed into him, almost causing him to topple over, sinking his claws and teeth into his shoulders. Steppenwolf cried out and tried to drag and shove him off. At first his own claws only scratched over metal on Spectre's sides before they finally found flesh to rip open. With a yelp Spectre jumped back. He clasped his hands against a heavily bleeding wound. It seemed Steppenwolf had scratched deeper than he intended to. But while a wound like this would normally make others slowly come back to their senses it only seemed to work Spectre deeper into a frenzy. As soon as he was able to tear his eyes away from the blood dripping forth between his fingers he shot the older Guardian a furious glare and charged at him again, way less powerful this time though. Steppenwolf spun out of the way and gave him a push as hard as his wounded shoulders allowed, causing Spectre to lose balance and fall over. He threw himself on the younger Guardian using his bigger body size and weight to pin him down. Not his claws anymore though - he only wanted to restrain him, not wound him any more than he already had. Spectre struggled to get his opponent off but immediately stopped when he felt hot breath against his neck, teeth slightly touching his skin and heard Steppenwolf's warning growl. This had worked to calm him the last time they were forced to fight while in their were-forms a couple of years ago and right now it seemed to do so again since Spectre made himself as flat as possible and notably relaxed. For a second Steppenwolf allowed his strained muscles to relax as well.

Suddenly Spectre reared up and slammed his body against Steppenwolf's. In surprise Steppenwolf closed his mouth. His teeth scratched over Spectre's throat, leaving scrapes deep enough to draw blood. It didn't seem like the young Guardian even noticed the wound or as if he cared what fatal consequences his maneuver could have had were his push any less forceful or had Steppenwolf's jaw snapped shut any quicker. For a moment the older Echidna was stunned by surprise and shock but he recovered quickly - had to recover quickly because Spectre sure as hell didn't give him a lot of time to. The dark Echidna had clawed himself free and now was on top. For a moment it seemed as if he had gotten the upper hand. But as long as they were still fighting while lying on the ground Steppenwolf's body size remained of advantage - that and the fact he offered resistance way faster than the other had apparently expected. He twisted his body to the side, throwing the lighter Spectre off, barely taking notice of the gashes the dark Echidna left on his chest and stomach in his fight to stay on top and once more pinned him down. Spectre tried to snap at him but a fist hit the side of his muzzle, then a hand slammed against the side of his head and rammed it hard against the ground. Again Spectre went limb, this time for real though. He wasn't knocked unconscious but he definitely was dazed.

Steppenwolf breathed heavily. In this uncomfortable position he became aware of how much his chest hurt and that he had probably lost a lot of blood but he couldn't risk letting his guard down to check or move position.

At least not until he heard a weak, "It ... happened again..." There was a noticeable tremor in Spectre's voice.

Steppenwolf slid off him, giving him enough space to sit up but the young Guardian remained in the same position, staring into empty space.

"Why can't ... why can't I keep control of myself..." He sounded distraught.

Steppenwolf couldn't help it but reach out for him. For a moment he hesitated, his hand hovering mid air, but then in his mind he scolded himself for this open display of insecurity and placed his hand on Spectre's shoulder. The young Guardian winced but finally turned around to face him.  
"You are still young and learning how to keep control. One day it will work out for you as well", Steppenwolf tried to reassure him. There was a bit of a slur in his voice and he wasn't sure if it stemmed from blood loss or if now his own control was drifting away. Rather the former - his mind still seemed to be completely there. "It will never work out", it said in a bitter cynical voice. "If anything it might only become an even bigger problem the older and stronger he gets." But despite his doubts he had to sound convincing. If it became clear not even Steppenwolf believed something like that was possible then why should Spectre do so?

"That's what Semper said as well", Spectre replied bleakly. "For years. I meanwhile highly doubt it."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that yet. It took me a century to figure it out."

Steppenwolf chuckled but it ended in a hoarse cough and he winced in pain. Spectre's gaze now fell on his abdomen and chest as well.  "You're... fuck..." His eyes widened.

"Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks." Actually it was worse but he definitely wasn't going to tell Spectre that and thankfully his fur was dark enough to hide most of it. "I will get patched up as soon as I'm back in Haven again." He winced when he stood up but he tried to make his pain not too obvious and reached out a hand towards Spectre. "And you should your wounds have taken care of as well."

But the younger male avoided his gaze once again. "It's nothing my own Chaos powers can't heal and there are no cybernetics that would need repair. I'm fine without Haven."  
'Especially after they find out what I did to you', his eyes and a subtle tone in his voice seemed to tell.  
Maybe it really was for the best he stayed away.

\----

What should have been a ten minute walk back to Haven seemed to take an eternity. What little bit of Chaos Energy his body was capable of channelling in this form could heal his wounds a little bit but it couldn't keep them closed while he was moving. His way through Haven was followed by a trail of blood drops.

"Was that seriously necessary?" a voice suddenly greeted him from the surveillance room he was about to pass.

Semper stood on one of the desks, his arms crossed in front of his chest and gave him a stern look. There were a lot of things going through Steppenwolf's head, like what one of the Fire Ants was doing in Haven in the middle of the night - this particular night - or why he seemed to know what had been going on before or why he was obviously spying on them.  
But all Steppenwolf said was, "You won't believe how glad I am to see someone who can use the Chaos force during this time of the month."  
He slowly walked into the room and sank into a chair.

Semper's expression softened a bit while he looked over the wounds and started to close them using his own Chaos abilities. "And now stay put", he ordered once he was done. "Your body needs to reproduce a lot blood." He let out a sigh. "Seriously, what did you even think you were accomplishing out there?"

Steppenwolf just shrugged. "Forming my own opinion on how far he had come since he started his training. It seemed as if he was holding back for some reason though so I hoped his other form would break him out of his reserve." Not quite the truth but also no blatant lie.

Semper just raised an eyebrow. His gaze seemed to ask, "Seriously...?" His own mentor had done the same when he caught him in a lie. For some reason these Ants seemed to be able to read minds.

"Fine", Steppenwolf groaned. "I actually wanted to test myself. I wanted to see if I could still compete with Spectre. But either my age is already showing some negative effects or Spectre has become way more powerful than he should be at his age and level of experience. And yes, this worries me."  
He didn't want to argue but after everything that had happened during the night, after all the worry, fear and pain and with the still present constant push inside of his own mind he felt as if he was about to explode.  
"Why were you even watching us? Spectre has finished his training and has become a fully fledged Guardian months ago? Why do you still hover over him like that? You are not his mentor anymore and you are damn well not his father."

For a few seconds silence hung over them.

"I am the closest to a father he had in the past 18 years", Semper finally said. His voice remained calm but it sounded icy.

For a moment their glares remained locked but then Steppenwolf averted his gaze. He closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face.

"I'm sorry", he mumbled. "I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. But I can't deny that he worries me."

"Do you know why he is holding back?" Semper asked. His voice still sounded cool but at least it had lost a lot of his iciness again. "Because he is afraid of himself. Of his own strength. Of the monster others see in him. I have trained him for past ten years and I know his full - and perfectly controlled, I might add - potential is like. He shows me because he trusts me and knows that I accept him as he is. There is actually so much of Tobor - the old Tobor - in him, but people only notice his bad temper, his power and the way he suddenly seems to be unable to restrain both once he is transformed. They just see what is loud and flashy. They never notice the quiet, withdrawn Spectre though who is watching over them and trying his best to keep them save. Yes, he might be way too strong for someone of his age and experience but it doesn't make him a monster that needs restraints."

"What about his were-form then?" Steppenwolf asked.

Semper spread his arms and looked down at himself. "There. Do I look dead or as if I have any scars? I was with him almost every full-moon night for years. He IS able to control himself, even if he has a very hard time doing so. But since he knows of that he always makes damn sure there is enough distance between him and other were-Echidnas or potential prey - small forest animals excluded. And as you said - it took you a century as well to learn."  
He gave Steppenwolf a little smile. "I understand your worries. You have to lead the Brotherhood and think you are responsible for everyone's safety. But you don't have to do everything on your own. If it makes you feel better I can continue to have an eye on Spectre. Not as a mentor anymore of course but as a friend - and, yes, as a father. He might not need the training anymore but he sure as hell needs someone to catch him should he fall."

Steppenwolf nodded slightly. "I think you should go and see him already then", he murmured. "He didn't look too good when we parted."

After Semper left - not without urging Steppenwolf to stay where he was once more - the Guardian just stared into empty space for a while. He felt exhausted, yet his spinning thoughts didn't allow him to rest. He was grateful for the help and he knew that Semper could handle Spectre. Hell, he even wanted to be able to trust the young Guardian like his mentor did. But he simply could not turn off these nagging feelings. Too many what if scenarios ran through his mind.  
Eventually though exhaustion overcame him after all.

**Author's Note:**

> The title is somewhat odd. But I had made it kind of a tradition to name my were-Echidna related stories after the music that inspired me. Well, the music for the first part until the end of the battle was "Awakening the warrior within" by Denny Schneidemesser, the music for the rest was "It's so easy not to try" and "Leave tomorrow till it comes" from the Lord of the Rings cartoon soundtrack. I just picked the one that sounded most fitting.


End file.
